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"There's always a plan, but unexpected things happen and we just go with the flow. Though I do believe that fate and destiny often play their part"
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People sailing around the Med all say the same thing about the unusual weather this year. April was normal but May was still rather unsettled; June was unexpectedly tolerable heat wise; July was hot but very windy; August, particularly the last two weeks, has been really hot……and I mean hot. Some days have been excessively humid too. Not wishing to be crude, but all you can do is sit around sweating like a proverbial pig!
Anyway, being on a boat means you can head for a bay and spend the day in the sea floating around on a noodle keeping cool. And that's what we've been doing mostly. However, yesterday whilst at anchor in Spinola Bay (St Julians) something a bit different happened. There we were bobbing up and down minding our own business when a ruddy great big tug boat arrived towing a large flat barge, which it plonked into place not more than 100 yards away from us. It's the fireworks barge for this weekends St Julians Fiesta and the container on-board, together with the boxes, have enough explosives in them to obliterate half of Malta. The St Julians fireworks displays on Saturday and Sunday are both supposed to be real show stoppers. I said to Nicky, how brilliant it was that we could stay at anchor for another couple of days and watch the pyrotechnic extravaganza go off right above our heads. However, when I woke up this morning, after a rather swelly night in the bay, I looked at the barge and thought... do I really want to be that close to the action. I asked Nicki her opinion and we both agreed…NO WE DON'T. So, we're now back in the marina and our plan is to walk round to St Julians to watch the fireworks from a safe distance on the shore.
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When power boats roar close by me at high speed creating a wake the size of a tidal wave, almost tipping us in the drink without so much as a "sorry about that", my language becomes quite colourful and I insult the driver with a repetoire of swear words that would impress any fisherman's wife. In summary, my views on motor yacht owners are normally less than complimentary.
However, the invite to spend a day on a large Azamut (Italian built) motor yacht was accepted like a shot. The vessel in question is quite a whopper actually - 52 feet of pure luxury, driven by two 600 horse power engines that consume more diesel in one hour than I would use in twelve months. This is a serious boat. A group of us, the usual offenders, jumped on-board with much excitement as it was a real treat to lounge around on such a beautiful boat. We've known Ian and his wife for quite some time and they were the perfect hosts. We headed down South to Island Bay at great speed (creating a tidal wave behind us of course), a journey that would take Comino around two hours. We got there in just under twenty minutes!!! Chilling, swimming and lunching were the main ingredients for the day……it was really a bit special I must say. Whilst penning a few words about the Sicily trip yesterday, I mentioned the homemade sun dried cherry tomatoes and the tomato paste I bought at the market in Marina de Ragusa. After I finished writing, it occurred to me that a bit of pasta and tomato sauce might just hit the spot for that nights supper. And so I made my dish using the newly acquired produce, plus some garlic (lots actually), olive oil and Parmesan. OMG……I'm addicted. What a difference…….I've never tasted anything so delicious before. This is my new signature dish and when I've run out of ingredients I'm going to sail ten hours there and ten hours back again just to get some more.
It was just after 5am last Saturday morning when we slipped our lines and headed out towards the open sea in pitch darkness. Jane was onboard with us and close by Alfred and Carol (Jane's cousin) were in their boat Dovecote, together with her sister Becky. Our destination was Sicily with ten hours of sailing ahead of us. Well, motor sailing actually. Thankfully the wind was light and the sea was very calm. Although the benign conditions didn't allow for an engine off, cracking sail, when you're travelling that kind of distance comfort is key. Within half an hour the sun began to rise and a beautiful sunny day slowly unfurled. As we got further away from land the sea turned from light turquoise to an amazing deep blue…… as a little bonus the occasional dolphin dropped by to say hello, but sadly not for long. Malta faded into the distance behind us and for several hours we couldn't see any land at all. Then slowly the thin dark outline of Sicily appeared far away on the horizon. After nine hours at sea we eventually rounded Capo Passaro on the South East tip of the island, which prompted us to head inland and drop anchor in a small bay to swim and cool down. Refreshed and rearing to go again, we made the short hop to Marzamemi, a small village straight out of an old Mafia movie. Dinner that night was in a charming little restaurant overlooking the sea, but to be honest the eye wateringly expensive bill wasn't justifiable based on the quality of the food. We decided not to complain though in case we woke up next to a horse's head!!! Marzamemi was a bustling place rammed with Italian tourists filling the narrow streets. Needless to say we were a bit "cream crackered" so it wasn't a particularly late one for us, although we did wander around after dinner generally soaking up the lively atmosphere. Next morning we set off again for a six hour sail round to the South West coast of Sicliy…... Marina de Ragusa to be precise. The forecast said little wind and no swell. I think there are two LL's in the word to describe that particular forecast. We had a good sail alright, but the 20 knot plus winds and choppy conditions made for a seriously bouncy ride, although Nicki and Jane seemed happy enough once I poured them a stiff drink. By mid afternoon we were safely tied up in the marina, not shaken, but a little stirred, allowing us a couple of hours to go in search of a fish market, given that we'd caught naff all on the way despite a lot of trying. We weren't disappointed……fresh muscles to start followed by fresh tuna steaks, caponata and salad made for a magnificent dinner aboard Dovecote, cooked up by the girls. The wine flowed and the laughter got more and more raucous……a memorable night indeed. Monday was all about mooching around town admiring the wonderful villas and strolling along the seafront promenade. In the evening we dined out again and this time the meal was exquisite. Seafood again……but hey……we were by the sea.
Tuesday morning was market day so we ventured up the road to see what Sicilian delights might be on offer. I couldn't resist the homemade sun dried cherry tomatoes and freshly made thick tomato paste. Talk about sweet n' tasty. I'm expecting my next pasta dish will be to die for (I hope so anyway), watch this space. At midday we untied our lines again and headed back out to sea for the long haul back to Malta. The wind was sufficient to get all the sails up but with the engine on as well we could do 7.5 knots. Getting back as quickly as possible was more important than being a purist sailor and in the end we arrived at Manoel Island Marina just as the light was fading. It was a fun filled four days but more importantly getting back into the sailing routine was a real pleasure. Up until now, neither of us feel we've been particularly adventurous this year compared to the last two years. Malta to Sicily and back is a decent trip by any standards and getting out our Italian courtesy flag was a bit overdue. |
A FEW PICS OF COMINO Click a photo to enlarge and use side arrows to scroll through. COMINO IS CURRENTLY HEREDID SOMEONE SAY SEAFOODOn our journey from Portugal to Greece we enjoyed amazing seafood almost everywhere we stopped. Finding the local fish market was always a priority because seafood was so plentiful and so reasonably priced. And, the displays were a feast for your eyes.
Locating a market sometimes meant pounding the pavements in searing heat, but if you kept your eyes peeled, you often came across a little clue. The pic below was a rather less than subtle advert for a fish market - it was eight feet tall.
Freshly cooked onboard, a plateful of giant prawns, baked in wine and garlic, washed down with a few glasses of local vino, was like heaven. Watching the sunset on the boat eating a meal like that was the epitome of "living the dream".
Now we're in Greece we've another favourite to savour. I'm talking about fried Calamari. It's usually good, but every now and then it's off-the-scale fantastic. At Natalie's Taverna on Kontokali Beach in Corfu, it was nothing short of epic.
We're based in Lefkas now and It's been a bit of a mission to find somewhere just as good. And we have. Rakias is a mere ten minute walk from the marina and this little fish market, with its very own taverna attached, is quite sensational.
Oh...and it's also worth mentioning that, on occasions, a bit of barbequed Octopus is on the menu at some of the tavernas we frequent. Can I resist....no. SUNSETS AND DRAMATIC SKIESNo filters, or any other monkey business, have been used to enhance these images.
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